A guide to using sauces for grilled vegetables

With all sorts of vegetables in season, mid-summer is the perfect time to fire up your grill for a feast. There’s something super enticing about the aroma of fresh vegetables meeting the flames of the grill. So gather your assortment of summer vegetables and get ready for a tasteful adventure.

But wait—do you know what’s better than a nicely grilled veggie? A nicely grilled veggie that is sauced to perfection. Explore how you can use sauces for grilled vegetables to craft the perfect summer grilled vegetable platter.

Whether you’re a novice griller looking to expand your repertoire or a seasoned pitmaster eager to experiment, this is your invitation to the vegetable table. Let’s dive in!

What are the best sauces for grilled vegetables?

There are a lot of sauces out there, but not all of them go well with grilled vegetables. Understanding which sauces pair well with vegetables is the essential first step of this journey.

Here are the ideal types of sauces for your grilled vegetable platter.

• White sauce
  Usually made with a creamy base like milk, yoghurt, or similar dairy products, white sauces are perfect for creating a contrast against grilled textures with their smooth consistency and richness.

• Vinegar-based sauce
  As the name suggests, these sauces are made with a vinegar base and offer a signature zesty taste that can not only enhance the flavour but also maintain the vibrant colours of vegetables.

• Hot sauce
  Made with a variety of chilli peppers, from cayenne to even ghost pepper, hot sauces are the perfect choice to opt for if you’re looking for a more savoury kick in your grilled vegetable platter.

• BBQ sauce
  BBQ sauces on vegetables may seem unintuitive at first, but they are a popular choice for grilled vegetables. However, be mindful of the vegetables you’re using as you want the sauce to complement them, not detract from them.

Which vegetables should be paired with a particular sauce?

Now we’re at Chef 101. Balancing sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami flavours is an essential part of any dish.

The same concept can be applied here to ensure that you’re using complementary sauces for grilled vegetables. To do so, consider the following;

Understand flavour profiles

Before you even consider the sauce, take the time to understand the flavour profiles of the vegetables you’re going to grill. Consider their innate flavours and textures, and how the grilling process may affect them.

Choose complementary flavours

When choosing a sauce to complement your dish, you want something that enhances rather than overpowers. For example, grilled asparagus would pair well with a creamy white sauce or a tangy vinaigrette, bringing out its flavour.

Consider the texture dynamics

Making sure the texture of the grilled vegetables and sauce complement each other is vital to the dining experience. Using creamy sauce to enhance the contrast of crunchy vegetables is a good example of texture balance.

Add your personal touch

At the end of the day, cooking and grilling is an art form that won’t be complete without the artist’s personal touch. Get creative with your pairings—it just might lead to unexpectedly delightful flavour combinations. 

To marinate or to dip?

Sauces for grilled vegetables can be used both as a marinade and a dipping sauce. 

Marinating is usually the better choice if you’re looking for a deeper flavour. However, you may find it difficult to get the flavour fully seeped into fresh vegetables. For this reason, some grillers opt to marinate vegetables post-grill, which helps the flavour stick better.

Dipping sauces are a good choice if you’re looking to add variety to the meal and let individual preferences guide the dining experience.

Set up the perfect summer grilled vegetable platter with delectable sauces

Hope this guide gave you some insight into what sauces work well with grilled vegetables and how you can create a perfect flavour pairing!

White sauces, vinegar-based sauces, hot sauces, and BBQ sauces are some great options, with each of them offering different textures and tastes.

Understanding the flavour profiles of the vegetables you’re grilling and the sauces you plan to use along with their textures is vital to create a great dining experience, but don’t forget to add your own personal touch to the platter too!

If you’re looking for great sauces for grilled vegetables, there are plenty of pre-made sauces that are perfect for vegetables. They are a great option to reduce cooking times and quickly indulge in your feast.